Our Process

Begin your design build project with a consultation.

During your initial consultation, you’ll meet with a member of the design team to better understand your design goals and discuss you the construction process. You’ll discuss your vision, expectation, budget, and anything else you feel is important for the process. Before you get too involved in the project, it’s important that we get to know one another and determine whether we’re a good fit for each other.

Preparing for Your Consultation

Before our initial meeting, it’s a good idea to prepare a few design ideas and think about your budget requirements. That way you can get the most from your consultation. Make a list of what you’re looking for in your project and any issues that leave you dissatisfied with your current home. Then prioritize your list so that you’re better prepared for the meeting. Keep in mind that your budget doesn’t always match your vision. Be prepared to make changes to your plans based on your budgeting needs.

Understanding Your Vision

It’s important that your project delivers the functional and aesthetic elements that you expect. During the first meeting, communicate what you want from the project so that your designer best understands the project and can work confidently knowing that you’ll love the end result. The purpose of the initial consultation is to establish a foundation for your project and the process. Open, honest communication is a must to help you achieve your design goals. Be ready to share your ideas and be open to suggestions.

Working with Your Budget

A design build project is an investment in your home. However, it’s important to be mindful of how you’re spending your investment. Creating a budget is an essential part of the process. It’s important to keep in mind that there are various components to your budget. While design fees and construction costs are a main component, there is more involved in the process. Your budget must also cover things such as permit fees, consultations with engineers, material costs, and any unexpected costs associated with your project. In addition to your design consultation, we’ll help you plan for the financial aspects of your project. For example, generally, it’s a good idea to leave 10 percent of the budget untouched to help you address any unforeseen issues with the project. During the initial consultation, we can further discuss your budget and how to best plan for the financial elements of your design build projects.

Once we’ve determined that we’re a good fit for one another, it’s time to move from the consultation phase to the design phase of your project. Learn more about the design phase of the design build process.

Moving forward with the build process, you’ll continue to the design phase.

During the design phase, you’ll work closely with a team of professionals. From designers to architects to engineers, this phase allows your vision to contain all the desired design elements while ensuring that it’s structurally sound. Once all the details have been established, construction can begin.

Design Consultation

The first step in the design process is the design consultation. Meet with the design team to help you establish a firm vision of your project and create a plan of action in more detail. Through the process, you’re able to find solutions to issues with your space while choosing the design elements that best fit your personal style.

Meet & Greet

This is the first meeting after your initial consultation. During this design meeting, you’ll discuss your ideas for the project and budget requirements in more detail so that your designer gets a better grasp on the concept of your vision. Your designer takes functionality, aesthetics, and your budget into consideration when helping you establish plans for your project. This meeting facilitates an exchange of ideas between yourself and your designer to best help you create a cohesive plan of action customized to fit your needs and budget.

Creating a Floor Plan

After your design consultation, your designer will get to work creating a floor plan to fit your design build needs. Taking home measurements, follow-up meetings, and home system, such as home wiring, plumbing, and heating and cooling, recommendations into consideration your designer will draft a floor plan. Using the latest design technology, your designer will then create a 3-D rendering of the floor plan and will create up to three concepts to help you choose which best fits the needs of your project.

Making Changes

Once you approve the design plans, the project can continue to the design development phase of the process. Before you approve the final design, however, it’s important that you’re satisfied with the plans. If you want to change the designs, don’t be afraid to speak up! At this stage of the process, it’s easiest to make design changes. Make any alterations to the design before it continues to the design development process to help everything run smoothly without any delays.

Once you approve the floor plans, you’re one step closer to construction. Your designs must then go through the design development process to ensure that they’re structurally sound and in accordance with city laws.

This phase of the design build process helps your visions become a reality.

Your design elements will be reviewed by various professionals from architects to engineers to city officials to ensure they’re feasible structurally. It’s important to note that this process can take some time. From a few weeks to a few months, set a realistic expectation for the design development process. However, rest assured that your team of professionals will guide you through every step.

Architecture

Once your designs have been made, they’ll be submitted to our architect. They will then use your design to create a comprehensive blueprint for your space complete with the layout, floor plans, and elevations. Once it is complete, we’ll then move on to the engineering phase.

Engineering

Once your blueprints have been completed, they’re sent to an engineer to ensure that they’re safe and structurally strong. The engineer will make all the necessary calculations to help gauge the necessary materials and hardware needed for the project. Additionally, they ensure that the project is in accordance with all the city and building codes and regulations.

City Approval

Before any major renovations are done to your home, you must obtain the necessary permits and city approval. Once the engineer reviews the blueprints and makes the necessary adjustments to the plans, they can be sent to the city for approval. All the design, architectural, and engineering plans are submitted to the City Department of Building and Safety. If any corrections must be made to the blueprints, our team will take care of them.

Pull a Permit

Once the corrections are made and the plans are approved by the City Department of Building and Safety, we’ll apply for the necessary permits. Once the building permits have been obtained, your project can continue to move forward, and we can begin construction.

Choosing Materials

As your project is approved by all the necessary parties, you’ll work with the design team choose the products and materials required for your project. That way you’re best able to minimize delays once construction beings. Additionally, once all the plans are decided upon, you’ll receive a final cost for the project.

Once all the plans have been approved and you’re satisfied with the designs, it’s time to begin construction. Find out more about the construction phase of the design process.

Once all the plans have been approved, permits have been obtained, and costs have been solidified, it is time to begin construction.

Our team of professionals help make the process as smooth as possible. From the start of construction to the final walkthrough, we want to ensure that you’re satisfied with the entire project.

Construction Process

As soon as all the plans have been approved, it’s time to break ground. The construction process can be a bit messy. It’s important to remove any unnecessary items from the construction site. Once the space is clear and remaining fixtures are covered to protect from dust, construction of your project will begin. Your project will require oversight from a project manager to ensure that all elements of your project are well coordinated. The project manager is your primary contact once construction begins. However, your project manager, designer, and construction manager will be available to you throughout the whole process. During construction, your team will do their best to stick to the set timeline. Should any delays occur, your team will inform you and will help you get your project back on track. Additionally, you can expect your contractor to arrive on time and tidy up the construction site as best able.

City Inspectors

Throughout your project, the city inspector will come to ensure that everything is going to plan and that everything is in accordance with the latest building codes. These visits occur periodically throughout the process. Such visits occur after the initial demolition, during foundation installation, plumbing repairs, electric wiring updates, HVAC insulation, and when drywall installations are made. That way your project is safe, structurally secure, and approved by the city.

Post-Construction

Once your project has been completed, your team will ensure that your project has been built to your specifications.The post-construction process consists of:

Project walk through

Review and complete items on clients punch list

Final inspection

After the final inspection, you’ll be provided with any documents related to the project as well as any links to videos and professional photographs of your project. Throughout the project, you’ve developed relationships with the whole design build team. We value each client and the relationships that we develop. Stay in touch with the team for any support that you may need with past, present, or future projects.

The design build process is made all the easier with experienced professionals to guide you through the whole process from start to finish. From the initial consultation to the final walk through, our team is there every step of the way to deliver high-quality design and construction.

As head of the design team, Eti Levi has an extensive background as a designer and real estate developer. Since childhood, Eti has had a passion for interior design. Instead of playing outside with her friends she was fascinated by interior design, and would spend her afternoons finding new ways to utilize space, re-configure, and decorate her room. She later went on to get her degree in interior design. With over 16 years of experience in both residential and commercial interiors and exteriors, Eti is well versed in a variety of design and construction projects, especially design build projects. From whole home remodels to kitchen and bathroom renovations, her eye for design allows you to work together to create a space that reflects your stylistic preferences. From the initial consultation to the final walk through, Eti walks you through every step of the process to ensure your project is a success.

Experienced Business Owner

Well Versed Luxury Designer

About Avi Levi

Avi Levi founded Levi Construction after many years in the real estate and construction industry. Prior to establishing Levi Construction, Avi was a partner of a successful construction company. However, he decided to start his own company with his wife, Eti. Influenced by helping his father build homes, Avi has had a passion for home building and construction since boyhood. His interest turned into a career, and he has since carried out various real estate development projects. Through his many successful professional relationships and projects, Avi has built a foundation upon which Levi Construction has become a premier, boutique design build company. As the active project manager on every project, he oversees every project from the first I-beam to the last finishing detail.